seafood
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of seafood
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40
Explanation
Seafood refers to water-dwelling animals that people kill and eat, such as fish, shrimp, or even octopuses. Seafood is not what happens to your friend if you open your mouth while you’re chewing. Do you enjoy fish and chips? Fried clams? Tuna fish sandwiches? All of these qualify as seafood. It was once fairly common to think of larger sea creatures including whales and dolphins as seafood too, although fewer people eat these animals today. The term seafood can also be used for fish that live in lakes and rivers, rather than oceans; and edible seaweeds like kelp.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Grill is amazing for perfectly cooked steak, seafood and classic cocktails.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Lidl GB said it was "committed to sourcing fish and seafood from responsibly managed fisheries".
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Bragg has a more blue-collar vibe, several seafood restaurants in Noyo Harbor and the Skunk Train, where you can ride a passenger car or a railbike through a bit of redwood forest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The restaurant serves more than 10,000 oysters a month, with fresh seafood flown in daily, and the raw bar is an obvious place to start.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
I love this place, and their seafood stew is almost as good as my mom’s.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
